The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Hardfacing relates generally to techniques or methods of applying a hard, wear resistant alloy to the surface of a substrate, such as a softer metal, to reduce wear caused by abrasion, erosion, corrosion, and heat, among other operational or environmental conditions. A variety of methods are available to apply the wear resistant alloy to the substrate, among which includes welding, where a welding wire (also known as a welding consumable) is deposited over the substrate surface to produce a weld deposit that is highly wear resistant. The welding wire may include a solid wire, metal-cored wire or a flux-cored wire, wherein the metal-cored wire generally comprises a metal sheath filled with a powdered metal alloy and the flux-cored wire generally comprises a mixture of powdered metal and fluxing ingredients.
Many welding wires have compositions that include Chromium to improve wear resistance and hardness. However, during a hardfacing application, the Chromium in the welding wire can produce undesirable levels of Hexavalent Chromium, which can be harmful to end users. End users that breathe Hexavalent Chromium compounds over an extended period of time can experience irritation and/or damage to the nose, throat, and lungs. Additionally, irritation and/or damage to the eyes and skin can occur if Hexavalent Chromium contact is in high concentrations for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, use of Chromium must be closely monitored in order to limit the levels of Hexavalent Chromium that may result from hard-facing operations.